Christian world

The Anglican community of St. Mary in Belgrade, which holds regular services in the chapel at Visegradska Street, traditionally celebrated Christmas with a festal mass in the chapel of St. Symeon atg the Serbian Patriarchate on the Eve of the feast-day on 24 December 2016.

The service was presided over by Chaplain Rev. Robin Fox with the chanting of believers, among which there was Mr. Michael Davenport, Head of the European Union Delegation in Serbia, members of the diplomatic representations in Belgrade, as well as some members of the Lutheran Church.

At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes all over the world exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services. The event that touches off this special experience is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Father Emanuel Youkhana rues that, for the third Christmas in a row, the church bells will not ring in Mosul.

He recounts that, around June 2014, the numerical religious minorities such as Yazidis and Christians around Iraq’s second biggest city began to face a horrific onslaught by the group calling itself IS (Islamic State), or Daesh in Arabic.

A new English book titled 'Year of the Sword - The Assyrian Genocide, A History' has been published by Prof. Joseph Yacoub, an emeritus Professor at the Catholic University of Lyon, France. The book is an English edition of the French book published last year and titled "Qui s'en souviendra ?: 1915 : le génocide assyro-chaldéo-syriaque."

Christian churches in India are experiencing an unprecedented influx of parishioners, reports Christian Today. This phenomenon is all the more surprising as it is taking place against the background of the rising persecution of Christians in the country.